Assigitob



1. SCHIRR'A.

THREAD PROTECTING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED MAY 11. I917.

1,303,402. Patented May13, 1919 ym/12014447012, Mvrra. @g mtozwew,

p y b v JULIUS SUI-HERA, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA,,ASSIGNOR T0 PROJECTILZE PROTECTOR COMPANY, OF WILKINSBURG, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

THREADrPROTIECTING DEVICE. V

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented lt'lay t3, td-lltlt.

Application filed May 11, 1917. Serial No. 167,870.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that ll, JULlUS Seaman, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Thread Frotecting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in thread protectin devices, pertaining more particularly to evices adapted to protect the threaded ends of pipes, bars, etc.

The threaded ends of pipes, bars, etc., are subject to damage to the threads unless the latter be protected, either by the use of a member threaded thereto or the use of a proteeting device which overlies the threads and thus protects them from damage.

Devices for this. purpose have heretofore been provided, but they are more or less expensive, if of any material value for protectlng purposes. The present invention is de signed to produce devices for this purpose at comparatlvely low cost, capable of ready application, and provide for efiicient protection.

To these and other ends, the nature of which will be readily understood as the invention is hereinafter disclosed,the ini'ention consists in the improved construction and combination of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawlngs, in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts in each of the views,

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing a,

device of the present invention in on the threaded end of a pipe.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken diametrically through the pipe and device. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on position line 3- of Fig. 2.

Pipe threads, especially when external, are easily damaged, owing to the particular thread configuration, together with the fa CC that slight mutilation may affect the ability to thread the complemental member thereon. This can be avoided to a more or less extent by protecting the threads with a member threaded temporarily thereon, but this requires the use of a member having threads complemental to the pipe threads, and where the pipe is subject to exposure, may produce a rusted condition which becomes troublesome. To meet this condition and at the same time provide for threads of different pitch, it is preferable to employ a protector which does not thread on to the ipe threads, but overlies such threads in suc manner as to protect them.

The present invention meets this condition by the use of a one-piece member in strip-form and having its opposite ends connected together to produce a device somewhat similar to an open-ended cap. This "cap is preferably formed of a tough, more or less fibrous material which, when shaped, is strong and durable. A preferred material is thatknown as commercial fiber, a prod not produced in sheet form having a ply of considerable thickness. This material, while more or less rigid, can be rolled and shaped without materially affecting its texture.

In producing the device, a blank is formed from the flat sheet of material, the blank having a. length sutlicient to provide an overlap of ends when the strip is in ring form, the blank having a width sufl icient to provide the skirt and the return portion which overlies the skirt, as indicated in Fig. 2, the blank preferably having a cutawa portion at one corner for a purpose to be escribed.

The device, indicated at 12, is corrugated along one edge, as at 12', this forming the outer portion of the skirt 12. The opposite edge of the blank is then bentover on to the skirt, forming a reinforce for the outer portionof the device, and the band then rolled into a somewhat circular form, the rolls having aconfiguration to produce an annular externalbulge 12 (and the coniplemental annular internal depression 12) adjacent the line of bend, the latter, of less diameter than the skirt, forming a lip 12, the inner face of which is adapted to abut against the end of the pipe 10 and limit the inward movement of the device over the threads 10.

As shown in Fig. 1 the blank is cut away a distancesubstantially equal to the length of the overlapping ends, the arrangement enabling the skirt portion of the cut-away end to be inserted between the skirt and re turn portion of the opposite end when the means, as for instance a rivet 13-, the inserted skirt end being indicated at 12 and forming the overlying portion of the skirt in Fig. 1.

As will be seen,the diameter of the lip 12 is less than the diameter of the skirt, while the diameter of the bulge is greater than that of the skirt. The ability to produce these differences in diameter, as well as permit the ring formation, when the particular material indicated is employed, is due to the corrugated formation which permits the material 'to take its proper shape without afiecting the general characteristics .of the sheet from whichit is formed.

The general configuration shown limits the amount of'inward movement of the device through contact of the lip with-the end of the pipeor bar, while the bulge arrange- -ment presents an outer face adapted to receive theshocks and jars without liability of damaging the threads, the reinforce provided by the double thickness of material -so stiffening the structure as to msure its proper efficiency.

The completed device can be readily positioned and'removed, can be produced 111 standard sizes of pipe at a comparatively low cost, possesses the desired rigidity, is

able to sustain theordinary shocks and jars and is of a material whlch may be driven on to the threads under excessive pressure without damaging the latter, and which will permit of being thrown away, if desired, without material loss due to the low cost of manufacture.

While I prefer to employ material of the type indicated, the device may be formed from other materials capable of manipulation to produce the structure shown and such other materials are considered as fall-' 111g within the inventlon.

WVhile I have shown a preferred arrangement, it is to be understood that changes or modifications therein may be required or desired to meet the various exigencies of use, and I desire to be understood as reserving the right to make any and all such changes or modifications therein as may be found.

desirable or necessary, in so far as the same may fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims when broadly construed.

naoaeoa ence in diameters compensated by corrugations, and means for securing the ends together.

2. A thread protecting device comprising a ring-shaped band-formed from sheet fiber,

said band having a skirt and also having portions projecting beyond the planes of the inner and outer diameters of the skirt, the diiferences in diameter being compensated by corrugations, the ends of the band being in overlapping relation and secured together.

3. -A thread protecting device comprising 7 a band formed from sheet fibrous materia said band having a skirt, a lip" of less diameter than the diameter of the skirt, and an annular bulge of greater diameter than the skirt diameter, said skirt carrying means to compensate for the differences in diameters. v

4. A thread protecting device comprising a band formed. from a strip of sheet fibrous material, said. strip being folded u onitself to form a skirt and a portion over ying the skirt, said line of fold being formed to pro duce a lip having an internal diameter less than the diameter of the skirt, said skirt carrying means to compensate for the differences in diameters.

5. A thread protecting device comprising a strip of sheet fibrous material folded upon itself to produce a skirt and a portion overlying the skirt to produce a two-ply structure adjacent the line of fold, said doubleply structure having an annular external bulge, said skirt carrying means to compensate for the differences in diameters.

6. A thread protecting device comprising a band formed from a strip of sheet fibrous material folded upon itself to produce a two ply structure, one of the plies forming a skirt, said two-ply structure having an annularexternal bulge and an annular nrternal depression, said skirt carrying means to compensate for the differences in diameters.

7. A thread protecting device comprising a strip of sheet fibrous material adapted to produce a band formation with overlapping strip ends, said strip being folded upon itselfto produce a skirt and an overlying portion of less width than the skirt and forming a two-ply structure adjacent the line of fold, said two-ply structure having an external annular bulge and an annular lip, said lip having a diameter less than the diameter of the skirt, said skirt carrying.

means to compensate for the differences 1n diameters.

JULIUS SCHIRRA. 

